“A small town in Kansas is literally left in the dark after seeing a mushroom cloud over near-by Denver, Colorado. The townspeople struggle to find answers about the blast and solutions on how to survive.”

It got me thinking about how the only working HF communications after the EMP’s went off (and everting else was fried but the blast), Was an old “tube type” HF radio.

It seems that there are a number of good articles about putting such a system together so it is one of my ‘high priority” project for this year. Below is a good article showing what is involved for a very minimal cost:

EMP attack is often considered the most rigorous of survivalist situations, due to the likely complete loss of electrical grid, many vehicles, and many transistorized/computerized products. Our group worked to provide post-EMP communications that would allow effective communications post-event. We had two major requirements:

Short Range Communications. Two, separate, defense-hardened homes that were approximately 30 miles apart had to be able to communicate across a medium-sized city, and

Long Range Communications. Both homes had to be able to receive news from in-state and out-of-state sources. These were considered necessary to receive adequate advance warning of defense issues, such as advancing bandits or armies.This article describes how we accomplished these goals.

Thus, we sought HF Ham gear that would likely survive an EMP attack. Published articles suggest that voltages/currents developed on antenna feed lines may reach 1 million volts and 1000 or more amps (for an instant), with voltages on power lines only a bit less. While some transistorized mobile Ham radio units were found resistant in one set of tests (Ref. 1), we opted to go with used vacuum-tube Ham radio equipment. Vacuum tube equipment has been found highly resistant to EMP damage. Furthermore, while entry level software-defined computerized Ham radio gear often starts at more than $500, older, used, vacuum tube equipment often goes for $200 in working condition.

HF Heathkit vacuum tube 5-band 180-watt transceivers capable of modern communications (single side band and morse code (CW)) were sold in two lines of products: the less-expensive HW-100 and later HW-101, and the somewhat fancier SB-100, SB-101, and the end-of-line SB-102 transceivers. All were new in the ’60s and ’70’s and are now available to varying degrees at Hamfests and on Ebay. The vacuum tubes utilized are very similar. All use an external–and heavy–power supply, connecting to the transceiver with a multi-wire cable. PDF versions of the manuals are available (Ref 2 and 3) and include not only construction but testing, operation, and repair information, including expected voltage and resistance measurements at various points; this is a gold mine for repairing used equipment. Similar equipment of that era include Drake and Collins brands, but we had lesser experience with these brands and were not as confident of the ability to repair them.

Thus, it is quite possible for you or your group to create short- and long-range post-disaster communications that are likely to survive even multiple EMP attacks. Using older tube-type transceivers, simple antennas, and careful purchasing of spare tubes, we were easily able to accomplish this for $300-$500 per station, or about the price of one firearm. What are you waiting for? Get started!

On October 28, 2003, an X-45 massive solar flare was emitted by the sun. It barely missed Earth. If it had collided it would have caused trillions of dollars of damage to the electrical grid. Airlines that flew over the pole diverted their routes to lower altitudes. The Japanese ADEOS II satellite was knocked out.

There are significantly different effects of an EMP caused by a nuclear blast and an EMP caused by a solar event. EMP weapons can trigger massively high bursts of gamma radiation (called E1 and E2). Electromagnetic pulses have three components: E1, E2 and E3. E1 and E2 create gamma rays, knocking electrons out of the atoms in the stratosphere, which becomes an electrical conductor due to ionization. This can cause field strength of 50,000 volts per meter.

This type of radiation can cause commercial aircraft to completely power down and their computers fail. It affects phones and cars. Tests have shown that 5% of all cars will have permanent damage; another 15% will stall and up to 70% will have dashboard anomalies. This type of blast will cause computers to fail. The transformers in our electrical grid will be incapacitated.

However, an E3 blast (solar flare) will damage the components in electrical conductors, such as power line transformers. The electrical grid goes down, as with the other type of blast. But phones, cars and computers are not immediately affected. The damage from E3 in modern systems is also called quasi-DC currents. Transformers are not designed to handle direct currents.

With a solar flare, you have temporary usage of your phone, car and computer. But your car will only last as long as you have fuel in it. Service stations pump gas by electricity and there will be none. Your phone will last as long as it is charged and that’s over with.Your computer will boot up, but there won’t be an Internet to connect to.

A solar flare thus moves the country back to 1850, but in gradual stages. It does provide you with more time to react, though. I would recommend driving your car to the nearest general store (don’t try a major supermarket, as that will be havoc). Buy food and water for at least one month, for starters. Stock up on flashlights and batteries. Buy any medicine you need. The solar flare at least gives you a chance.

“A small town in Kansas is literally left in the dark after seeing a mushroom cloud over near-by Denver, Colorado. The townspeople struggle to find answers about the blast and solutions on how to survive.”

It got me thinking about how the only working HF communications after the EMP’s went off (and everting else was fried but the blast), Was an old “tube type” HF radio.

It seems that there are a number of good articles about putting such a system together so it is one of my ‘high priority” project for this year. Below is a good article showing what is involved for a very minimal cost:

EMP attack is often considered the most rigorous of survivalist situations, due to the likely complete loss of electrical grid, many vehicles, and many transistorized/computerized products. Our group worked to provide post-EMP communications that would allow effective communications post-event. We had two major requirements:

Short Range Communications. Two, separate, defense-hardened homes that were approximately 30 miles apart had to be able to communicate across a medium-sized city, and

Long Range Communications. Both homes had to be able to receive news from in-state and out-of-state sources. These were considered necessary to receive adequate advance warning of defense issues, such as advancing bandits or armies.This article describes how we accomplished these goals.

Thus, we sought HF Ham gear that would likely survive an EMP attack. Published articles suggest that voltages/currents developed on antenna feed lines may reach 1 million volts and 1000 or more amps (for an instant), with voltages on power lines only a bit less. While some transistorized mobile Ham radio units were found resistant in one set of tests (Ref. 1), we opted to go with used vacuum-tube Ham radio equipment. Vacuum tube equipment has been found highly resistant to EMP damage. Furthermore, while entry level software-defined computerized Ham radio gear often starts at more than $500, older, used, vacuum tube equipment often goes for $200 in working condition.

HF Heathkit vacuum tube 5-band 180-watt transceivers capable of modern communications (single side band and morse code (CW)) were sold in two lines of products: the less-expensive HW-100 and later HW-101, and the somewhat fancier SB-100, SB-101, and the end-of-line SB-102 transceivers. All were new in the ’60s and ’70’s and are now available to varying degrees at Hamfests and on Ebay. The vacuum tubes utilized are very similar. All use an external–and heavy–power supply, connecting to the transceiver with a multi-wire cable. PDF versions of the manuals are available (Ref 2 and 3) and include not only construction but testing, operation, and repair information, including expected voltage and resistance measurements at various points; this is a gold mine for repairing used equipment. Similar equipment of that era include Drake and Collins brands, but we had lesser experience with these brands and were not as confident of the ability to repair them.

Thus, it is quite possible for you or your group to create short- and long-range post-disaster communications that are likely to survive even multiple EMP attacks. Using older tube-type transceivers, simple antennas, and careful purchasing of spare tubes, we were easily able to accomplish this for $300-$500 per station, or about the price of one firearm. What are you waiting for? Get started!

Max

I'm totally with you on this post, Max!I totally loved Jericho and the second time, enjoyed watching it with my grownup son... That show provides lots of insight and good ideas.Ham radios and all you have posted, so important!- Barb T.

You've got me intrigued and now will be looking to find Jericho. Also, right now one of the weaknesses for many seems to be our susceptibility to emf damage.

If a person does not have cable:May be possible to view the series through a monthly Netflix subscription... A family member has it, about $20. You mail the movie in the day after watching - or same day if you are speedy - you get the next chosen movie in a couple days. So it's possible to get lots of movies that way... It is way, way, cheaper than the days we used to walk up to the Blockbuster and rent a movie...

I tried to post a bit more info and a trailer about the post-apocalyptic tv series, Jericho but the system blocked my post. tried to post a video link.Before that, tried to post iwwh two screen shots and that got blocked.This will get sorted...

In a post-global disaster world, predators and tyrants will have the best two-way radios, and they'll use them to surveil you at a comfortable distance.

What will you have? Signal flares and red bandannas?

If so, when you least expect it, the predators and tyrants will come to take a spoil and they will torture, rape, and kill without mercy.

This is why Radio Free Earth authors Marshall Masters and Duane W. Brayton have an urgent message for everyone with a serious interest in preparedness. That being, analog RF (radio frequency) is the heartbeat of freedom. Accept no substitutes.

Watch our free videos to learn how to stay safe and free with an affordable strategy for two way communication, both near and far.